#tikathecreator

My cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” at my latest performance at The Drake Hotel.  Ƭ̵̬̊ (Prince) is my favourite artist in the world. I came across I Would Die 4 U in Purple Rain. I was fascinated by the song but particularly the lyrics. I did some research and discovered that the song was written by Prince from the perspective of God. I was floored that a musical genius could write something SO brilliant and ask it underneath and fast-paced pop record. I wanted to slow down the record in the form of a ballad and let people REALLY hear the words. RIP Ƭ̵̬̊ . You will never be forgotten. Ever. Truly one of a kind. <3

This past week I performed at The Drake Hotel in Toronto. I conducted a visual soundscape of records from my most recent EP “Carry On” and a few cuts from my upcoming album “Anywhere But Here.”

Thank you to McCallaman, Desire, + Sydanie for opening up the show. Incredible.

Thank you to my band (Corey, Casey, Taylor, Aubrey, Anthony, Ben, Thadeus, Grace, Danah, + Stephanie) for helping encompass the sound. Thank you Meron for assisting with the visuals.

I am forever grateful.

Dear Creators,

We are real. Life is real. GOD is real. Life is filled with happenings and experiences. These lessons are here to shape us + teach us. Shape our lives. Shape our testimony. We are NOT perfect. We are here to share. Share our experiences, share what is real + true. And in us sharing transparently, we find connectivity, fellowship, friendship + love. You are deserving of pure love. Be patient with yourself in your learning + show love to others even if they cannot love themselves. Because life is ugly + scary. But at some point or another, we have been ugly too. I know many who are internally suffering. I have been there....

My loves, there is great beauty in darkness. This body of work was cultivated + inspired to help move those who are stuck in the "Shadowlands." The "Shadowlands" of depression, darkness, sadness, trauma, stagnancy, fear, regret. The light is possible for even you!

You, my darling can + will Carry On.

Love.

TiK▲

Thank you @hmltlive, @clairmontii, + Harrison for contributing to such an important body of work for me. Thank you Kadeem Ellis for always SEEING me and acknowledging my beauty and talent with pure love. I love u ALL.

My sophomore EP is now up VIA Noisey.

https://noisey.vice.com/…/cleanse-the-spirit-rejuvenate-you…

I'm going to share this message because I care.

If you are a creative person of any kind, the gifts that you possess are not yours. The gifts you possess never belonged to you in the first place.

Art is vulnerability. It is not ego. It is God speaking directly through you to heal someone else.

You are the messenger. The middle man. The delivery person. You have to deliver your message.

Many of us have various traits and idiosyncrasies that hinder us from delivering the messages that we possess. Whether that be in the form of fear, depression, trauma, life choices etc.

Many of us sit with our message. Read our message. Obsess over our message. We don't tell people we have this message. We can't believe we even HAVE this message. It's unfathomable. It's terrifying. We obsess over the message that never once belonged to us in the first place. Some of us live with the message without anyone knowing for the rest of our lives.....

Your message is supposed to heal others, to inspire, to remind people that dreams are real. Give yourself permission to remove the blocks that you have and acknowledge that the message was never yours and is simply part of your journey. The connectivity and fellowship from sharing the message IS part of the gift. Getting out of your own way is really the ultimate gift because you would have learned to live with yourself.

If you have a gift or talent please share it. Don't be afraid. It's never too late.

Pure unadulterated joy.

@via